EPIC POST IS FREAKIN' EPIC!!
Be gentle with me - It's my first LJ Comm post in this Comm. I finally finished my EPIC review of the Oakland Oracle Arena concert.
You can read the entire review here, but I'll post the most relevant part (Adam's Part) in the LJ cut:
After Danny finished his last song, the decibel level of the crowd shot through the roof. We KNEW who was coming next and I was fully prepared to have a heck of a good time.
That is, I THOUGHT I was fully prepared.
Up until now, the show was wonderful. All of the Idols did great performances, and the atmospheres set for their numbers was communicated through the screen scenes. However, the feel of the sets was two dimensional. We, as the audience, saw the pretty pictures and, seemingly, from inside those pretty pictures, the Idols sang back to us. There was an invisible wall between the stage and the audience, with the performers singing out to us, and the audience responding back in varying degrees.
Then, as the crowd went wild, BOOM! A concussive bass sound, louder than a clap of thunder, shook the entire stadium and OBLITERATED the invisible wall. BOOM! More concussions vibrated the floor. Chaotic images flashed across the screen: Tantalizing images of sexy lips, piercing eyes, and brief flashes of a rocking-out Glittery Alien From Planet Fierce, and BOOM! A lightning-quick spelling out of “A-D-A-M” flickered on the stage backdrop (as if we needed reminding of who was coming on stage). Finally, the iconic bass riff of “Whole Lotta Love” twanged through the stadium, sending the crowd (and me) into a frenzy! The screen scene goes snowy, and seemingly through a swirling black hole-or, probably, a rip through the space/time continuum-emerges Adam Lambert with his clarion-call voice ringing through every single person in the stadium, demanding, commanding, flat-out TELLING us we need love. And, by all the holy Gods, he was gonna give it all to us!
That black hole/dimension rip followed his every move as he strutted across the stage, growling and keening in unbelievable tones. Guitar riffs enhanced the effect over all of us, then he paused. The band paused with him. He gestured to all of us, then put a black-nailed, perfectly manicured hand up to his ear. We went nuts yet again. As a reward, Adam brazenly straddled the mic stand, lovingly and commandingly caressed it, then again declared to the heavens (“WOMAAAAAN!”) that I NEEDED love!!
I was undone. I was slain in the spirit.
(Somehow, a somewhat detached part of my brain was able to observe the finer points of Adam’s performance, which I will attempt to explain here.)
After that otherworldy introduction, the entire stadium was transported into space. (Probably through that dimension rift.) We were surrounded by stars, twinkling and swirling all around us and making me feel bubbly inside as Adam serenaded us with “Starlight.” He mostly stood still and, with the power of his voice, lifted us into the stratosphere, assuring us he only wanted to hold us (me?) in his arms, and singing of “black holes and revelations.” Once we reached the apex of where we were going (where were we headed? Didn’t know and didn’t care, as long as Adam was with us!), he sat down and sang of sadness and futility, transforming into a vulnerable lost boy, declaring that it’s a “Mad World,” breaking many hearts in the audience. Behind him, a slowly swirling galaxy painted a picture of a lonely and barren existence, devoid of hope. On some verses, his voice echoed through the stadium, and the tenderness of his performance had the entire audience hanging on his every note.
After breaking our hearts with “Mad World,” Adam called in reinforcements to uplift them again. He re-introduced his “little sister”Allison for “Slow Ride,” popping us into another alternate reality of rugged roads and good loving. Rock God and Rocker Jr. burned up the stage and the energy of the crowd was humming at its peak. We zoomed down the highway as the dynamic duo sang of getting some good, slow loving (in a platonic way, I assure you).
We were still in that otherworld reality, so I knew that the highway ride was a quick pick-me-up until we made our way back home. After “Slow Ride,” Adam sent Allison on her way (by way of another dimension rip, probably), and launched into the Bowie Medley, starting with “Life on Mars,” appropriately enough. At the height of one of his heavenly runs, he peeled off his coat, revealing toned and muscled arms and a too-hot-to-handle leather vest, and unleashed a shockwave of fabulousness onto the entire audience as he launched into “Fame.” This obviously became too much for one person in the audience, so she (I assumed it was a “she”) threw an impromptu tribute onto the stage for the Rock God’s approval. Adam, not missing a single beat, bent down, picked up the tribute-a black-colored bra-and smiled & said “Yea!” as he threw it back into the audience for everyone to share. Then, he launched into “Let’s Dance,” the song gaining an updated techno beat.
Dance with me, and I’ll set you free!” Adam declared to the audience. His voice echoed and rang through the stadium as he stepped back through that dimensional rift and concluded his set. (Or, did he merely sink back into the stage?). The entire stadium was on their feet, yelling and screaming their love and adoration for this three-dimensional, otherworldly performance.
You can read the entire review here, but I'll post the most relevant part (Adam's Part) in the LJ cut:
After Danny finished his last song, the decibel level of the crowd shot through the roof. We KNEW who was coming next and I was fully prepared to have a heck of a good time.
That is, I THOUGHT I was fully prepared.
Up until now, the show was wonderful. All of the Idols did great performances, and the atmospheres set for their numbers was communicated through the screen scenes. However, the feel of the sets was two dimensional. We, as the audience, saw the pretty pictures and, seemingly, from inside those pretty pictures, the Idols sang back to us. There was an invisible wall between the stage and the audience, with the performers singing out to us, and the audience responding back in varying degrees.
Then, as the crowd went wild, BOOM! A concussive bass sound, louder than a clap of thunder, shook the entire stadium and OBLITERATED the invisible wall. BOOM! More concussions vibrated the floor. Chaotic images flashed across the screen: Tantalizing images of sexy lips, piercing eyes, and brief flashes of a rocking-out Glittery Alien From Planet Fierce, and BOOM! A lightning-quick spelling out of “A-D-A-M” flickered on the stage backdrop (as if we needed reminding of who was coming on stage). Finally, the iconic bass riff of “Whole Lotta Love” twanged through the stadium, sending the crowd (and me) into a frenzy! The screen scene goes snowy, and seemingly through a swirling black hole-or, probably, a rip through the space/time continuum-emerges Adam Lambert with his clarion-call voice ringing through every single person in the stadium, demanding, commanding, flat-out TELLING us we need love. And, by all the holy Gods, he was gonna give it all to us!
That black hole/dimension rip followed his every move as he strutted across the stage, growling and keening in unbelievable tones. Guitar riffs enhanced the effect over all of us, then he paused. The band paused with him. He gestured to all of us, then put a black-nailed, perfectly manicured hand up to his ear. We went nuts yet again. As a reward, Adam brazenly straddled the mic stand, lovingly and commandingly caressed it, then again declared to the heavens (“WOMAAAAAN!”) that I NEEDED love!!
I was undone. I was slain in the spirit.
(Somehow, a somewhat detached part of my brain was able to observe the finer points of Adam’s performance, which I will attempt to explain here.)
After that otherworldy introduction, the entire stadium was transported into space. (Probably through that dimension rift.) We were surrounded by stars, twinkling and swirling all around us and making me feel bubbly inside as Adam serenaded us with “Starlight.” He mostly stood still and, with the power of his voice, lifted us into the stratosphere, assuring us he only wanted to hold us (me?) in his arms, and singing of “black holes and revelations.” Once we reached the apex of where we were going (where were we headed? Didn’t know and didn’t care, as long as Adam was with us!), he sat down and sang of sadness and futility, transforming into a vulnerable lost boy, declaring that it’s a “Mad World,” breaking many hearts in the audience. Behind him, a slowly swirling galaxy painted a picture of a lonely and barren existence, devoid of hope. On some verses, his voice echoed through the stadium, and the tenderness of his performance had the entire audience hanging on his every note.
After breaking our hearts with “Mad World,” Adam called in reinforcements to uplift them again. He re-introduced his “little sister”Allison for “Slow Ride,” popping us into another alternate reality of rugged roads and good loving. Rock God and Rocker Jr. burned up the stage and the energy of the crowd was humming at its peak. We zoomed down the highway as the dynamic duo sang of getting some good, slow loving (in a platonic way, I assure you).
We were still in that otherworld reality, so I knew that the highway ride was a quick pick-me-up until we made our way back home. After “Slow Ride,” Adam sent Allison on her way (by way of another dimension rip, probably), and launched into the Bowie Medley, starting with “Life on Mars,” appropriately enough. At the height of one of his heavenly runs, he peeled off his coat, revealing toned and muscled arms and a too-hot-to-handle leather vest, and unleashed a shockwave of fabulousness onto the entire audience as he launched into “Fame.” This obviously became too much for one person in the audience, so she (I assumed it was a “she”) threw an impromptu tribute onto the stage for the Rock God’s approval. Adam, not missing a single beat, bent down, picked up the tribute-a black-colored bra-and smiled & said “Yea!” as he threw it back into the audience for everyone to share. Then, he launched into “Let’s Dance,” the song gaining an updated techno beat.
Dance with me, and I’ll set you free!” Adam declared to the audience. His voice echoed and rang through the stadium as he stepped back through that dimensional rift and concluded his set. (Or, did he merely sink back into the stage?). The entire stadium was on their feet, yelling and screaming their love and adoration for this three-dimensional, otherworldly performance.